West Virginia's first loss last season came at the hands of Louisville (5-4), and this year the No. 6 Mountaineers (7-1) will attempt to avenge that defeat when they host the Cardinals at Mountaineer Field on Thursday night.
The Cardinals are powered by Brian Brohm and the fourth-ranked passing attack in the nation, racking up an average of 360.9 yards per game. Brohm was thought to be one of the top candidates for the Heisman trophy when the Cardinals were a preseason top-ten school, and his numbers (second in the country in passing yards, fourth in touchdowns) are still some of the best in the NCAA. But the failures of his team have likely killed his chances, and a big day against the Mountaineers would certainly help both Brohm and his teammates ease the pain of unfulfilled expectations.The Mountaineers will counter with the third-ranked rushing attack in the country and the main players who put up 318 yards on the ground against the Cardinals last season are back, in Pat White and Steve Slaton. It is difficult to keep one of these players quiet during a game and nearly impossible to contain both. Lost in all the talk of the Mountaineers' pair of Heisman hopefuls is their fourth-ranked defense, which proved they were a force in last week's 31-3 win at Rutgers by forcing four turnovers.
The Mountaineers are huge 16-point home favorites in this Big East contest as they look to keep pace with surprising Connecticut in the race for the conference title, while keeping their hopes alive for a BCS bowl game. West Virginia is 6-2 against Louisville overall, including 4-1 at home. In fact, the Cardinals have not won at West Virginia since 1990, and this is a major advantage for the Mountaineers who are perfect at home so far this season.
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